Safety closure device for containers of volatile liquids



1933- J. E. SIMMONDS ET AL 31,933,486

SAFETY CLOSURE DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS OF VOLATILE LIQUIDS Filed April 12, 1932 ass" INVENTORS John E. Simmonds h rl s Pet rson wzym ATTORNEY Patented oer. 31, 1933 SAFETY-f crests Davies-roe con I r TAINEBS, QFQVOLATITJQ'QIQIHDSQ .f Jolrnl lssendon SimmendsiToorali;Victoria.

f fCharles Peterson,,Eisternwick, Victoria Au s- Y tralia V I 5 Application April 12,1932, SerialN'o. 604, 2 and Q in Australia April 13", 193 1 1.. s oia.ims. (trams) with round holes, thediameters of these round holes being equal to the thickness of the material and consequently being quite large if the material is relatively thick. In some cases these devices have minimizedconsiderably the danger of explosion due to a flame flashing back into the container, but they have not. been entirely eflicient where .the conditions of storage are such that the liquids or their vapours are in anespe cially dangerous. state, for instance if the volatility. of the liquid be increased by an excessive rise of temperature or again if theair and vapour are present in proportions most likely to explode. For these reasons it has been found that these prior safety devices are unreliable and, by pro ducing unwarranted confidence may even constituent a source of danger. i The object of the present invention is to prevent the possibility of a flame striking back into the container.

The fitting is constructed in the form of a conical or like shaped perforated metal screen which is inserted through the filling aperture of the vessel so that it projects into the vessel, the

perforations being conical so that the openings I at that side or surface of the fitting which faces the atmosphere are smaller than the openings at that side or surface of the fitting which. faces the liquid in the vessel. This results in the flame being broughtinto very close contact withthe material in the event of the vapour issuing from the containerand catching a light and striking back into the fitting. This conical shape of the perforations is of great importance in preventing the flame from passing through them into the main portion of the container. It is believed that the conical shape of the perforations causes the flame to spread in the same way that a similarly shaped nozzle on a garden hose tends to spread a water spray. It would appear that this brings the flame into close contact with the metal and therebynot only tends to cool the flame but also tends to smother the flame to some extent by preventing air passing down behind the flame and consequentlythe flame is supplied with air from one side only. In any case, whether this is the correct theory or not, the shape of theseholes undoubtedly has a marked effect in reducing the g the accompanying tion of the perforated metal.

possibility of "a flame passing through 'them into jthecontainerff The invention will bedescribed'injrelationto drawlng which illustrates the 1 preferred construction'bf this invention; [In the drawing? I c Figure 1 is a vertical centralsecti'on through the device, the neck of the filler port of the container being shown in chain dotted lines.

Figure 2'is a perspective view of the device removed from the container, and

Figure3 is an enlarged section 1 view of a por- "According' to this preferred construction the device or fitting has a body 1 formed of sheet copper comprising a conical portion 2 and a neck 3' which are both provided over their whole surfaces with conical perforations 4. The exact size 7 and number of-these perforations are of. importance.

. other words if the smallest diameter of each hole After very extensive experiments it has been found that the greatest efficiency by-far was obtained if the holes were of an inch in diamwas of that size, and if 250 of these perforations f were provided to the square inch. When this'-*'- number of perforations is provided the centers of adjacent perforations will be .068 of an inch apart.

A further important constructional feature is that the device is cone-shaped and has a neck '3' which is angular in cross-section, being polygonal or even square or triangular but preferably'being octagonal or hexagonal. This. enables petrol (gasoline) or other volatile liquid to be poured through the device into the container without any of the liquid being blown out through the neck and. port owing to the upward surging of escaping air or vapour. The corners 5 of the octagon: or other polygon enable the air and vapour to escape because the liquid tends to keep to the more central portion of the passageway through the neck. A top portion of the neck.

may be turned outwardly to form aflange 6 which I 00 is brazed or otherwise suitably attached to a collar. '7 or other suitable member by which it is secured by rivets 8 or other known means to the neck 9 of the filler port. The collar '7 and neck 9 may be of any suitable known type of construction and are indicated on the drawing somewhat diagrams matically for that reason. The conicalshape of the body of the fitting is of special value when the fitting isincluded in pipe lines or leads or other passageways where it is important that the effective area of the passageway shall-not'be unduly restricted. The conical shape enables a great number of the small perforations to be provided so that the total area of the perforations may be even greater than the cross sectional area or the passageway. a v

The device may also be employed for preventing the passage of a flame along pipes or lilge leads where the combustible vapour of volatile liquids is present. 1:

What we do claim as our inv'ention and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is' I 1. A safety device for an opening of containers for volatile liquids to prevent the ignition of the volatile liquids or their vapours and passage of flame, comprising a conical or like shaped metal screen provided with a large number of perforations which are smaller at their endsonthe at} mospheric side of the screen than they are at the vapor contacting side.

2. A safety closure device f or preventing the ignition of volatile liquids as claimed in claim 4 and ,in which the perforations are substantially 5% of an inch in diameter and with the centers of adjacent" perforations substantially .068 of an inch apart.

3. A safety closure device for preventing the ignition of volatile liquids as claimed inclaim 1 having a neck polygonal in cross-section to facilitate the escape of air when the volatile liquid is poured through the device into the container.

4. An' ignition-preventing screen for disposition between a volatile liquid and the atmosphere, the screen having a multiplicity of perforations therethrough, said perforations being substantially frusto-conical'with their larger ends at the liquid-facing surface of the screen.

5. An ignition-preventing screenfor disposition between a volatile liquid and theatmosphere, the screen havinga multiplicity of perforations nerethrough, the defining walls of said perforations being disposedout of parallelism to lines right-angularly intersecting the screen, said perforations being larger at the side of the screen which faces the liquid than at the other side thereof. I q t w 6; An ignition-preventing screen according to claim 4 wherein the'screen is obliquely disposed.

CHARLES PETERSON.

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